Zimbabwe Wild Dogs

Conservation of endangered wild dogs

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What we do

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jan 15 2008 | By: admin

This is Peter Lindsey here writing for our first blog for Wildlife Direct.

I will start with some background information, and then over the next few days try to provide some more details of the specifics that we and of the challenges we face and experiences we have out here in the bush.

We are running a conservation project on African wild dogs in south eastern Zimbabwe. Wild dogs are Africa’s second most endangered carnivore. As few as 5,750 of these animals survive and viable populations persist in only 8 of the 39 countries in which they once occurred. We study wild dogs in one of their most important strongholds, in southern Zimbabwe. The focal area for our study is Savé Valley Conservancy, which is a conservation area of about 3,500 km2 in size.

Through our work in Savé Valley Conservancy, we hope to increase our understanding of some of the primary threats facing the species throughout their range and to develop tools to help conserve the species. These threats include the incidental capture of wild dogs in snares set by bush-meat poachers (who usually try to catch antelope species), diseases such as rabies and canine distemper, and habitat fragmentation.

In Savé Conservancy, the wild dogs face an additional threat from a rapidly increasing lion population. Lions kill both adult wild dogs and pups when they get the chance, and tend to force wild dogs into less than ideal habitats. In the case of Savé Conservancy, that could mean forcing the dogs into areas with a higher risk of being exposed to poachers’ snares, or disease-carrying domestic dogs. As with the wild dogs, lions were previously eradicated from the area by cattle ranchers (before the conservancy was formed) and then naturally re-colonized the area. The number of lions in Savé Conservancy is increasing rapidly and we are working to assess what impact these changes will have on the dogs.

In addition to our work in Savé Conservancy, this year we plan to extend our project to figure out how many wild dogs remain in the southern half of Zimbabwe. Southern Zimbabwe is an exciting place for conservation, as two enormous Transfrontier conservation areas are being developed: the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA) in the South East, which will link Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe with Kruger National Park in South Africa and Limpopo National Park in Mozambique; and the Shashe Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (SLTFCA) which will link conservation areas in south western Zimbabwe, north western South Africa and south east Botswana. We plan to assess the status of wild dog populations in the Zimbabwean portions of these transfrontier conservation areas, and to determine to what extent populations in Zimbabwe are linked with those in neighbouring countries. We will achieve this by developing a catalogue of photographs of wild dogs. Wild dogs have unique coat patterns and individuals are easily recognizable. By sharing photographs with researchers working in neighbouring countries, we will be able to work out if dogs from Zimbabwe are moving into those countries and vice versa. If the wild dogs in northern South Africa, eastern Botswana, south western Mozambique and southern Zimbabwe are linked, then the area would comprise one of the largest remaining populations of wild dogs in Africa.

18 Responses to “What we do”

Sheryl, Washington, DC, on 15 Jan 2008

Hi, thanks for a great first post. I’ve been interested in African wild dogs since the “Planet Earth” series ran last year and featured them in an episode. I’m looking forward to learning more about the wild dogs and your work for them.

Is is difficult working in Zimbabwe under the current political regime? I can imagine there are many hardships. Also, when you say “transfrontier” are you referring to corridors between conservancies? Are these corridors for the animals to travel or people as well?

Thanks,
s.

Samantha (WildlifeDirect), on 15 Jan 2008

Welcome to WildlifeDirect Peter. I also am very interested in wild dogs, only have been made aware of their precarious existence this year. Look forward to reading more.

THERESA SISKIND, on 15 Jan 2008

Greetings Peter! You mentioned these wild dogs are “smelly”; I’ve heard hyenas also have a very strong odor but they are more closed related to felines. I know fleas are a big problem for them in their burrows. What is the typical prey base for these dogs and are there adequate numbers of prey for them? Is your area in a drought, which might affect the number of prey available? I too am interested in whether there are migratory corridors.

THERESA SISKIND, on 15 Jan 2008

Peter one more question! You said the number of lions are increasing in your area (very encouraging); could some of these lions be relocated to another protected area, so the threat from lion to these dogs could be diminished?

F. J. PECHIR, on 15 Jan 2008

Thank you Peter for your information. I observed and photograped wild hunting dogs (and many other species) for a year in Etosha N.P. three years ago. During that time there was an study on this species using radiotelemetry, and seeing hunting dogs with radio-collars was a common sight. Then I know that two males wearing radio collars was killed by lions in a period of only two months, indicating that predatory activity on this species by lions are more frecuent that it was supposed before. And, as is very common in this cases, the bodies was not eaten. When lions kill other predators is frecuent that they do not consume the meat, but it is not a strict rule. I hope that the GLTFCA transfrontier conservation area could be developed, because the Kruger N.P. is one of the main stronghold for this species, as are Ruaha and Seleus Reserves in Tanzania, and the Okavango Delta in Botswana. I worked with a pack of 11 hunting dogs in captivity when I was a volunteer in a zoo some time ago. There was many hours of observation on their behaviour in captivity and Iwas fortunate enough to witness five newborn pups in the incubator and saw them grow to reach almost the adulthood. They really are a fascinating species with one of the most strong social behaviour that I´ve ever seen, but are also one of the most endangered species in Africa. Its a shame that every day more and more species become endangered, including the Ethiopian wolf which now only number about 600 individuals, being, also, one interesting species due to their very particular social behaviour and the taxonomy controversy that sorround them. I really look forward to know more on your interesting work in Zimbabwe!

F. J. PECHIR, on 15 Jan 2008

Theresa.- I haven´t seen your comment to me about brown hyenas until a few minutes ago, sorry for the delay in my answer… I only saw a few of this hyenas in the coastal Namib Desert when I was in Namibia, I spend in that desert area only 10 days but I was told that they are a frequent sight. The exact location was Sperrgebiet, about 200 km north of Luderitz. As maybe you know, my organization (A.C.W.P.) is a member of the Lake Natron Consultative Group based in Kenia, and some of the others institutions members of this group have direct links with scientists that are doing research on this species in the area, including radiotelemetry. So, I have a first hand information about this hyenas. Do you know that they prey almost year round on cape fur seals? and that carrion is not their main diet?

THERESA SISKIND, on 15 Jan 2008

Really, seals! I just learned that the Polar Bear is classified as a marine animal! Wow, so much to learn. Animal planet did a show about orphaned spotted hyenas, it showed them playing with lions cubs, while the lionesses looked on behind a fence. It was a sight to behold, beautiful!

F. J. PECHIR, on 15 Jan 2008

Yes, the polar bear is now classified as a marine mammal, and so the protection that the U.S. Marine Mammal Act give to walruses, seals, dolphins and whales can be extended to the polar bear too. It is in danger of extintion now, and all possible measures must be taken in order to save this bear from traditional and sport hunting and from the extremely dangerous climate change. Some species of seals, the main prey for the polar bear, are now endangered by the retreat of ice from their birth and nursing grounds, disrupting food chains that goes directly to the bears.

sheryl, washington dc, on 15 Jan 2008

I’d rather see hyenas killing cape fur seals than humans during the annual Namibian slaughter.

F.J., the U.S. Fish & Wildlife has postponed the ruling on adding polar bears to the Endangered Species List until next month. If they add them to the list, there’ll be no more hunting of polar bears and USFW will start writing a plan to restore their habitat.

s.

paula, on 16 Jan 2008

Wonderful first post Peter, and lots of interest. I’m mostly interested in ohow you are surviving given the challenges in Zimbabwe, how does the wildlife scene look ….what can we do to help? Do you have some photos to show us?

Wanda, Atlanta, on 16 Jan 2008

Lots of shows on the lions returning lately on Nature and Animal Planet
and I am so glad but I guess that presents other problems and it all has to be monitored-so glad you posted and the comments by everyone are so interesting. Looking forward to more!

F. J. PECHIR, on 16 Jan 2008

Sheryl.- yes, its a shame that the polar bear must wait some more time to be included in the endangered species list, but, due that it is a fact that this bear is endangered in the wild, I´m confident that its inclusion in the list will be only a matter of weeks, just as you said. I´m with you in that cruel slaughter of cape seals! Many thousands of pups and adult seals are beaten to dead off the namibian coast just for their furs and to mantain the jobs of the insane human killers that perform this slaughter, as some authority from Namibia recognise a few months ago.

F. J. PECHIR, on 16 Jan 2008

Hey, I´m reading my last comment on wild dogs and there is a -finger´s mistake- I mean ´Selous´. For other part, I´m sure that the Peter´s study on wild dogs will be one, (and maybe “the one”) of the most interesting studies on wild dogs distribution movements ever! It compromise various countries and will be a terrific work to do, and, as far as I know, it is the very first time that this kind of study will be done in such a big territory. Peter, I must tell you that I just can´t wait to see the partial results of your incredibly interesting studies on hunting dogs!! Scientists like you, with that no frontier sight in conservation are what Africa need to preserve wildlife. Congratulations!!

Peter, on 17 Jan 2008

Hi Sheryl,

Working in Zim can be challenging due to the power cuts and shortages of things like fuel, cash, groceries etc. However, it is such a beautiful place to work in, it feels very safe, the people are nice, and also there is huge opportunity because so few researchers are working here at the moment. So on balance, it is a great place to be! When i mentioned transfrontier parks, I am speaking about the concept that is being developed of linking national parks in neighbouring countries. In the case of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area, the core area is comprised of Kruger (SA) and Limpopo National Parks (Mozambique)(which are adjacent to each other) and Gonarezhou NP (Zimbabwe) which will be linked to Kruger by creating a corridor in the Sengwe communal land in Zimbabwe. The corridor will be for wildlife, not for people - but the people currently living in that area will hopefully benefit from tourism revenues. The conservancy where we work is almost connected to Gonarezhou, but not quite. Ideally, a corridor for wildlife needs to be created. That would mean removing (or moving some fences) and re-aligning land uses in the area a bit.

Peter, on 17 Jan 2008

Hi Theresa,

Wild dogs naturally have quite a pungent odour! Fleas may be a problem during the early stages of denning when they stay in the same den for a period. However, as the pups get older and more mobile, they tend to move dens quite often, which presumably would reduce the abundance of ectoparasites like fleas. Wild dogs normally eat the most abundant small to medium sized antelopes. In our area, that means impala, kudu, duiker, and the occasional other species. There is ample prey for them in the conservancy. In a later post you asked about translocating lions. At this stage, the number of lions in Save Conservancy has not yet reached carrying capacity. Eventually (probably within 3-4 years) they will and then their numbers are likely to self regulate, based primarily on food availability. There will not be a need to translocate any. Wild dogs have co-existed with lions for milennia and I am sure they will do so in Save Conservancy. For the last few years we have had unusually high densities of wild dogs by virtue of the relative shortage of lions. Now that the lions are increasing in number, i envisage that the number of dogs will decline and settle at a lower population size. While in a sense this is a shame, in a large wildlife area such as the conservancy, I feel that it is best to allow natural ecological processes to go on without interference. In small fenced reserves, such as some of those in South Africa there maybe more of a case for manipulating the numbers of lions to assist wild dogs, as in small areas the dogs may not be able to avoid lions effectively.

Peter, on 17 Jan 2008

Hi Francisco,

Thanks for your email and for the info on the recent reintroduction attempt in Etosha. I attended an IUCN organised southern African regional wild dog meeting in December attended by all of the key researchers on dogs, and at that meeting we mapped the distribution of the species in the region. An interesting observation came out, and that is that wild dogs appear not to do well in areas receiving less than 350 ml of rainfall per year. Im not sure what Etosha’s rainfall is like, but maybe the same ecological factors that limit dogs in other dry areas are in play in Etosha

Peter, on 17 Jan 2008

Hi Paula,

Working in Zim is challenging, but as I said in an earlier post, there is also a lot of opportunity and a lot to be done. So on balance, it is a nice place to work. Wildlife populations in the national parks estates are generally doing pretty well. Also in the large conservancies, wildlife continues to do well. The area where wildlife has suffered somewhat is where game ranches were taken over and used for cropping and livestock rearing in recent years. In some areas there has been an upsurge in bush-meat poaching associated with the increased contact of people with wildlife resulting from those changes.

mariah, on 28 Mar 2008

this website has alot of information i love the picture at the top of the page

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